As Halloween approaches, celebrities are gearing up for the festivities. They shop for costumes (for them and their children), they buy candies and more importantly pumpkins (to cook for dinner as well as to decorate their houses). I chose to show you how they shop together with their kids at the pumpkin patch dressed casually yet chic. My fave outfits are Nicole's, Alessandra's and Kristin's. I've got nothing more to say; just enjoy the weekend and be safe!

Now imagine a client (guest) coming to see you wanting to gofrom a level 7 (light brown) hair color to a chocolate brown and brings you abox of very expensive chocolates and tells you that this is the exact color shedesires, Brilliant! I always say without visuals with your consultation you’rein trouble and to me this means no hair swatches. So my client Linda who hasbeen seeing me for the last let’s say 22 years a consumer reporter for anational new paper is wanting to go chocolate brown, I love this and agree it wouldlook great on her complimenting her skin tone and beautiful blueeyes, however I still have to go over a few things such as, in almost all brownhair color there is a tone of somewhat warmth (Red) if there wasn’t then you mightas well go black. The box of dark chocolates she brought were matte in otherwords no shine a little different in hair color as we all know and battle the no “red”clients but still want shine, the minute the natural hair is altered with any hair color even for 5minutes the molecule opens up and delivers a shine, light technically called red NRP natural remainingpigment. This is an important bit of information for clients to know on whatwill occur instead of the end result being different then the desired one. In foodmost chocolate we refer to is either dark or milk with 1000’s of variations,also there’s shinny chocolate or matte the shiny ones appearwarmer the matte (flat) appear cooler, the point is no matter what are ownpersonal ideas are on certain universal colors it’s what Linda’s are which areshiny dark chocolate almonds and by explaining to her that there will be some warmth and that food color is different than hair color we can achieve 98% exact color, so whatever the visual maybe a pictureor a box of chocolates there is in hair more shine there for more warmth. At the end of the day Linda got her beautifuldark chocolate brown hair color and I got to enjoy the yummy chocolate, thank you Linda for inspiring me to write this post.

I am constantly working on creatingnew services in the Studio not only in hair color but for a ‘Client Experience’ so for every individual thatsits in the chair they will receive extra touches and hopefully excellent service. These days an added touch to a service isimportant why? consumers want more fortheir buck so to speak and the competition is also doing added value services which means clients have choices. So lets just say I have upgraded an Aveda hand massage to a Hand Treatment and so far my clients (guests) are loving this one.

While the hair color is being processed we offer a hand treatment , first scrubbing in warm hot with a touch of Aveda’s Caribbean Therapy Body Scrubthen wrapped in a warm towel followed by a smoothing massage with Aveda Hand Reliefandfinally a light mist of Aveda Botanical Kinetics Skin Firming/Toning Agent.Does this sound like a great service you would want getting your hair colored? you might think it may take too long in fact all it takes is 10 minutes or less. So whatever it takes to make the time for a hand treatment make it! Believe me the more you offer the more the word spreads about their experience the busier you will be!!!. recreate your value added services.

Having just returned from thewest, Calgary/Edmonton teaching and spending time with not only incrediblehairdressers but beautiful hearts I find myself inspired to create a Featured StylistCorner. Theseindividuals to me represent professionals that love the craft ofhairdressing, beauty, and fashion and continue to strive hoping to make a difference in ourindustry and with the people they touch. Seasoned or Newbies we can all learn fromeach other and share in making our tribe the best there is.

I have written many posts in thepast regarding Permanent Waves and how shocking it is to me that the majorityof hairdressers do not do them. I know or have heard all the reasons why thisservice is almost absent in most salons or there might be one to two people whoactually do them, biggest reason I believe is fear from cosmetology school. This past weekend which endsmy season of travel for the year of educating finished with a shortvisit too one of our concept salons, an in-salon class to inspire and share formulas and a couple of quick foilplacements. I had a wonderful time with this group of smart, creative individualsthat embraced all I had to share and as always was leaving with a full heart. Ivery rarely get a chance to linger with everybody after a short class I’musually rushing to catch a plane so I don’t get a chance to see the staffactually use the tools I just taught them behind their chair, since my flightwas later on I could hang around. Not only did I see two stylists doing aplacement I taught but as well others trying my formulas, what a feeling! Nowto Katrina who has been in the industry 7 years and has been in a few of my academyclasses in the past, a true beauty inside and out with a passion for her work and peoplewith a big heart and a great student was doing a perm I was like YEAH! Someone isdoing a perm with no fear and doing it just right with all the correct Aveda productsto use with a perfect wrap on YES highlighted hair. I loved it! and in thissalon almost all of the stylists do perms, my hats off.

Troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan is no stranger to the courthouses of southern California, as she within the last few yearsappeared in front of a judge several times. Everytime she causes a paparazzi frenzy, so she may as well look fabulous while she's doing it. Take a look at what she chose to wear!

Which look is your favorite? Mine is by far outfit number 4 as I really love those Louboutins (you can see my post about them here) as well as no 5 (that white dress screams "I am innocent, and sexy") and no 9.

I have a client with natural red hair. She is about a level 6 R/O in the back anda level 7/8 O/R on top. She wants heavy highlighted blonde without usingenlightener. A little warmth is ok, but doesn't want to be a redhead anymore asit is not flattering on her. She also has a very tight curl with frizzy ends.Any suggestions?

Christina

Well you sure have a huge task infront of you, the most difficult color to remove in hair is Red particularly anatural redhead and of course the hardest color to keep in the hair

First thing is - Why does she not want you to use Enlightener? In my experience this is the best non-debilitating lightening (bleach) product on the market, I will assume it’s because of her tight curl frizzy ends combo. One very strong suggestion I have before I go into hair color is for you to recommend her to get the New Smooth Infusion Treatment which would do wonders for her type to just losen up the curly a bit and make any color you both choose to do look great. Now for hair color if you are 100% sure you cannot use the enlightener then what I suggest is trying the Crème Booster alone with viscosity and 40 volume, this will give you a golden /strawberry tone but I cannot guarantee it becauseI have seen it work on natural red hair color and I have also seen it do hardly anything.

The best way to handle this is you can add a touch of enlightener to the Crème Booster so 2 parts Crème booster + ¼part enlightener not the other way around with 40 volume in the back and 30volume on the top and front using slicing instead of weaves for your foil work. This truly is the only way, I also feel very strong about hairdressers having the confidence and assertiveness that we need with clients that limit us with the product/tools we need to use to get the job done, why does she need to know that you are going to use a touch of the Enlightener in your Booster formula . The objective is to try and get her from what I understand as light as possible and the bottom line is nothing else will really work so go for it and tell her it’s a blonding cream that lightens hair like a bleach but is much more gentle to the hair. I do not make it a habit in lying to clients (guests) but a little white one now and again in a situation like this knowing that it will work always gets the job done for a win/win end result. Good Luck Let us know the outcome HCC

Carre Otis began hermodeling career at age 16, while hanging out in San Francisco, she wasimmediately sent to Paris where she began to achieve recognition afterappearing on the cover of French Elle in 1986. Over the next several years hercareer sky rocketed with a Calvin Klein Jean Ad that till this day is considerd one of the most famouscampaigns.

Aroundthis time she also made her acting debut alongside Mickey Rourke who laterbecame her husband in the film Wild Orchid, her beauty and sexuality was undeniably raw and magical.

Theconstant very public struggles with her relationship to Mickey Rourke and drugabuse became notorious in the gossip magazines and after a tumultuous 6 year marriageended she found peace and serenity in the practice of Buddhism and began theprocess of getting herself off substances.As part of herrecovery process Carre began to gain weight "in the fashion worlds standards" but this did not stop her fromModeling she became a plus size model at size 10/12 imagine being considered as a plus size model when the average size is 12/14. Todayat 43 Carre Otis has become a spokesperson for substance abuse, and eating disorderssomething she too faced in the height of her modeling career. She still remainsas one of the most beautiful women to have ever graced the fashion pages of our time.

Where is she now?Carre Otismost recently has written an extraordinaryaccount of her life, struggles and career, a wonderful read which I highlyrecommend Beauty Disrupted, and is a devoted wife, mother and Buddist whostill models from time to time.

Let’sjust say that perhaps one fundamental difference between coloring men’s hair andwomen would be the amount we do. In the 80’s and 90’s I remember doing just as many foils on the head of a man as I would fora woman, call it the era of Duran Duran hair :) the percentage of my male clienteleback then was a lot higher then recent years until now. Today as time haspassed I have seen more and more men being concerned over their grey hair and showing interest in 'a little color'. Men wantfast and efficient services not to say we take away any added valve services weoffer too our female clients or attention, in fact men receive the same and then some. Offering rinses,low-lites and even subtle hi-lites to add body and dimension to their hair andhaircuts is the way to go creating customized and quicker techniques, so for all you hairdressers out there start recommending Men's Hair Color. Keeping in mind that for most men their main concernis that their hair looks natural. One thing we must remember is to explain tothem that it just might be that they need to visit the salon more often justlike any female client because their natural hair color as been changed and with that also comes new growth (Roots), so it does matter in which hair coloring approach we take with men, they also hate to be displayed so find the most private corner to color away.

When you are visiting LA (or while living there), the ultimate spot to dine is the Japanese restaurant Katsuya. Whether you choose the Hollywood or Brentwood location, you 'll enjoy the food and cocktails side by side your favorite celebrity. All celebrities love to dine there, as they love Japanese cuicine. Paparazzi are every night there waiting for a celebrity shot. So, dress fashionably and stylish and who knows; maybe you'll eat your sushi next to Kim Kardashian or Ashley Tisdale! Enjoy the pictures of some celebrities leaving Katsuya!